May 2, 2025 – A study led by physician-researchers at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, showed that high-dose magnetic resonance (MR)-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) delivered in just one session can safely eradicate tumors in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. The phase 2 SMART ONE trial demonstrated that this targeted therapeutic approach achieved nearly 100 percent local tumor control. The study was published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics (Red Journal).
“This study is the first in the world to demonstrate that single-fraction MR-guided SBRT is highly effective, safe, and substantially more convenient alternative to other forms of radiation therapy that frequently are delivered over multiple days or weeks,” said Michael D. Chuong, M.D., vice chair and medical director in the department of radiation oncology at Miami Cancer Institute as well as principal investigator for the trial. “In addition, this novel treatment is performed without anesthesia, is completely noninvasive, and allows patients to immediately return to their normal daily activities. No patients experienced significant toxicity that was definitely related to radiation therapy and were able to maintain excellent quality of life throughout treatment.”
SBRT delivers millimeter-precise high-dose radiation that can eradicate tumors in different parts of the body. It is normally delivered over multiple daily sessions, typically for one week, to decrease the risk of side effects in contrast to SBRT delivered in this clinical trial that was completed in typically under just one hour. The SMART ONE trial enrolled 30 patients with primary or metastatic tumors in the lungs, liver, pancreas, abdominal or pelvic lymph nodes, and adrenal glands. Patients were treated on an advanced radiation delivery system that utilizes MR imaging prior to and continuously during treatment to ensure targeting accuracy, which is not available on other state-of-the-art systems. Miami Cancer Institute was one of the first centers in the world to treat with this delivery system beginning in early 2018…